Upon arrival at Hanken

Arrival

Pick up service during fixed arrival dates
There is a group of tutors (elsewhere also called 'buddies') acting as support group for exchange students at both campuses . Their first important task is to pick you up at the airport /harbour/railway or bus station. In order for the Hanken tutors to be able to arrange the pickup service efficiently, exchange students are requested to upload their Arrival data in good time, at least a month ahead. In the Online system you are asked to mark if you want/do not want a tutor to pick you up upon arrival. If you have requested a tutor this guarantees that a tutor will meet you, will have the key to your apartment and will take you there. The tutors are taking part in the Orientation programme and they are arranging social programme for the exchange students during the semester. Their task is part of the Student union activities and the tutors act as volunteers assisting the International Office in our strive to facilitate your integration process at Hanken. One of the tutors is chair/president of the group and group members all have their own "duties".

Exchange students are strongly adviced to arrive during the set arrival dates, when the pickup is organised. The tutors are prepared to pick you up between almost around the clock. Please note there will be no pickup between 1 am and 7 am in Helsinki. If you arrive at the airport in Helsinki during the night hours you will have to book a room at a hotel close to the airport or wait at the airport.

In Helsinki the arrival dates are always during two days (Monday-Tuesday) before the three-day Orientation course in Helsinki. In Vaasa the arrival service also is provided the days before the Orientation that usually lasts two days. Exact dates for autumn semester 2012 to be announced.

When the pickup plan is done, some tutor will be in touch with you over e-mail. Please hold and do trust the system of setting up a working pickup plan. It may not be clear until the very last days before arrival who is meeting whom. So keep calm and wait for an e-mail or a mobile call from a tutor.

NB! Be sure to give us all flight etc details and correct contact details when uploading your arrival data in Mobility-Online. ANY changes after the upload deadline MUST be communicated in an e-mail to incoming.mobility@hanken.fi in order to reach us. (The report from Mobility-Online is created only once).

Arriving outside the pickup days
In case you have some serious obstacle in arriving during the assigned days, i.e. you have exams at your home university or an internship abroad, we accept late arrival. In that case we cannot promise pickup. You must contact incoming.mobility@hanken.fi letting us know your arrival date and also be in touch with HOAS / VOAS to arrange for the receipt of the key during office hours (9-16, check please). In case you arrive earlier than the pickup days the same is required; linform us about your arrival date and arrangements.

In Helsinki: HOAS keys in Helsinki are collected by tutors from HOAS some day before arrival, you must inform us in case you are not requesting pickup service and key from a tutor.

In Vaasa: NB! You cannot receive the keys to a VOAS apartment before 1.9 without signing a tenancy agreement for August and paying full rent for August. VOAS is closed during Sat-Sun, note note that 1-2 September 2012 is a weekend. There are inexpensive hostels where you can book a room for nights before 3.9.2012.

Arriving in Helsinki
If you have asked for a tutor pickup service, you just have to get to Helsinki!

The tutors will be there and assist you with the key and the luggage. According to usual routines the tutor who finally will be picking you up, will be in touch with you over e-mail. Please, do trust the system, the tutors will set up up an efficient and working pickup plan. It may, though, not be clear until the very last days before arrival who is meeting whom. So keep calm and wait for an e-mail or a mobile call from a tutor. Be sure to give us correct contact details on the Arrival form. Remember also to inform us about any changes in your travel plan!

Arriving in Helsinki:

By air at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, approximately 25 km from Helsinki city centre, you can take the Finnair bus that leaves about every 20 minutes and takes you to the City Terminal next to the Railway Station, in about 30 minutes. Both Hanken or HOAS, which both are located at about ten minutes' walking distance from the City terminal, or take the tram 3T opposite the Railway station. A regular taxi from the airport to the city centre costs about EUR 50, the Airport Taxi costs about EUR 30.

By ferry boat from Sweden to the city of Turku you may take the train to Helsinki (about 2 hours) and will arrive at the Railway Station in the heart of the city. Or you may take a bus to the Bus Station also situated in the centre of Helsinki (less than 10 minutes' walk from Hanken). Both the train and the bus should leave from the Turku harbour.

By ferry boat from Sweden directly to Helsinki you will arrive at the Olympia Terminal (Silja Line) or the Kanava Terminal, on Katajanokka (Viking Line).

By ferry boat from Tallinn the arrival will be at the Katajanokka Terminal, the Olympia Terminal or at "Länsisatama".

To come to Hanken, take tram 3T (Olympia Harbour) or tram 4 from Katajanokka and change to 3T at the Senate square The tram 3T takes you to Hanken. Get off at the corner of Arkadiankatu (Arkadiagatan) and Runeberginkatu (Runebergsgatan).

If you arrive by car, you either take a boat to Helsinki, or to Turku, some 150 km south-west from Helsinki. When approaching Helsinki from Turku you just follow the signs Keskusta /Centrum and the Mannerheimintie (Mannerheimvägen) until you pass the Parliament House, then turn to the right, drive along Arkadiankatu, cross Runeberginkatu and immediately turn to the left to Lapuankatu then you will be at the rear of Hanken.

Arriving in Vaasa

Arriving in Vaasa is possible by plane, train or ferry boat. You can take a flight to Vaasa via Helsinki or Stockholm. A flight from Helsinki to Vaasa takes about one hour. Travelling from Vaasa airport to the city centre takes about 15 minutes by taxi. You can also travel by ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki or Turku, or from Germany, Poland or Tallinn to Helsinki and take the train to Vaasa, that will take you about 5 hours. Or you may take the ferry from Umeå in Sweden to Vaasa.

Orientation Course

The spring semester starts with Orientation on 18-20 January 2012 in both Helsinki and Vaasa.

Orientation course Programme in Helsinki [pdf] 9k

Handouts and presentations:

Orientation Course - Start up and Study practicalities_MG [ppt] 730k
Library Services at Hanken Spring2012_MS [pdf] 2072k
Studying at Hanken - the teacher perspective Spring 2012_HF [pptx] 2203k
Why Swedish in Finland?_KP [pptx] 2804k

The Orientation course is arranged by the International Office staff at Hanken in Helsinki and by the Administrative office in Vaasa. The aim of the Orientation course is to facilitate the start for the exchange students and help their swift integration and learning of the new study environment. The Course combines practicalities with information on Hanken and studies at Hanken as well as information on Finland and social, cultural, political aspects in a snap shot .

The main content is:

Welcome and Introduction to Hanken and meeting the other exchange students, tutors and staff

Practicalities: Enrollment and user-IDs, housing office, city residence and local travel, information on registration of residence permit (EU/EEA students), etc.

Studying at Hanken

Information Literacy & IT support;

Library, Student Services

Course councelling, course sign up

About Finland and the Finnish society and people

Why Swedish in Finland?

Facilities and tour of the School

Rector's / Prorector's welcoming

Tutors presentation of the Student Union services and facilities and get-together dinner / Welcoming programme in Vaasa

Sightseeing tour in Helsinki and Vaasa

A Cottage Weekend (Helsinki campus) will follow some week after arrival and there will be excursions in Vaasa neighbourhoods.

Travels in Finland and to neighbouring countries. Throghout the semester the tutors are also assisting in arranging travels in Finland and to neighbouring countries.